


By His Side

by afangirlimagines



Series: Bodyguard Keith & Prince Lance [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, Prince Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 10:25:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16345007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afangirlimagines/pseuds/afangirlimagines
Summary: Keith begins his job as Prince Lance's new bodyguard. He has no idea what to expect, knowing that this is his opportunity to prove himself, though worried about the reputation that seems to follow the Prince. However, it seems Keith's anxieties have no place when he is by Lance's side.





	By His Side

No matter what anybody said, Keith got this position on his own. Sure, his mother was the reason he joined the Blade of Marmora, and Shiro was the reason he got recommended for this position, but if he didn’t take down one of the Altean guards within 20 seconds flat, he wouldn’t be where he was right now.

Which was outside of the Altean Prince’s quarters, next to King Alfor himself.

Maybe Keith should’ve been gentler on the guard.

Sure, this was an extremely prestigious position, and he was happy to have this chance to do something important, and work alongside his for-all-intents-and-purposes brother, but the idea of babysitting the Altean Prince under the scrutiny of King Alfor, when tensions were already high between their races was maybe a bit more pressure than Keith had bargained for at 19.

Keith took a deep breath to shake his mind of the thoughts that were clouding his brain right as the Prince’s doors opened. He was waiting to be introduced formally for the first time, curious to see how he stood next to the rumor-based image Keith held of him.

Keith had heard about the flirtatious nature of the Prince. The fact he always had some beautiful woman hanging off his arm minutes into whatever gala was taking place this time. His ease in any social situation, the constant center of attention.

And goddammit. When the door opened, Keith realized he kind of deserved it. The Prince was attractive, to put it mildly.

Prince Lance opened the door in a short Altean night shirt. It was clearly a bit too large for it, hanging off one shoulder to just barely hint at the glowing blue mark that lies there. The blue cloth and golden threads weaved through it highlighted the golden-brown highlights in his hair where the sun hit it. The nightwear ended near his mid-thigh, showing off the muscles which he must have built up from his equestrian adventures and combat training. It seemed unnatural, the tone of the muscles within his leg yet without a single scar to represent the battle which should have built them up. His legs were also hairless as far as Keith could tell, which was surprising to him, though he supposed it would fit the man’s vain personality.

Most surprisingly, however, was the Prince’s face. Keith was prepared to see his physical appearance match the seductress reputation he had built for himself since he became a common public figure in Altea. Above his shoulders, however, Keith was not prepared for at all.

The Prince’s hair was sticking in whichever direction it pleased, clearly not having been brushed yet. He was rubbing his face with his long fingers, but clearly look exhausted and utterly unprepared for company: a state Keith never would have expected to see him in. The Prince yawned once more for good measure before opening his eyes to the presences before him.

Prince Lance yelped, jumping slightly before pulling his shirt down a bit. “Father! Why didn’t you tell me we had company?”

“Lance, it is almost noon. Apologies for expecting you to be up, considering you had classes to attend this morning.” King Alfor rolled his eyes, though an amused smile tugged at his lips. He seemed to pay Keith no attention in this moment.

“It is called a nap, Father! Something that is quite useful for one’s complexion, not that you woul – “ Lance yelped behind the door, causing Keith to instinctually take a step forward, before stopping and looking up at the King. It technically wasn’t his place yet, and he doubted it would be a good first day if he saw the Prince naked. “I’m fine. Ugh. Why can’t I wear dresses like Allura? They’re so much easier to put on.”

Another moment passed, a much too uncomfortable moment in Keith’s opinion, before the door opened to reveal the Prince, now dressed in an askew royal blue tunic and slim cut silver and black pants. His bed head had gotten worse if anything during his hasty wardrobe change, but he seemed more comfortable to finally let his lies land upon Keith, curious as they raked him over.

“Well, Lance, this will be your new bodyguard, Keith Kogane. I hope that in the future you greet him with a little bit more dignity. Keith, I hope this first impression doesn’t change your opinion of this job. If it has, however, tell me now, as I don’t take the safety of my son lightly.”

“No, your majesty,” Keith fully bowed to Lance, before nodding his head slightly as he turned towards the King. “I will do everything I can to keep your highness and your family safe while you choose to keep me under your employ.”

“Well, worry not about me, boy. Or Allura. It is only because I trust Takashi Shirogane in his position of protecting my daughter that I took up his offer to see how you did. And, I must say, you performed superbly. Please, keep your focus on keeping my son safe.”

“Wait, wait, wait. This is the guy that dislocated Blaytz’s shoulder!”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Keith blinked before looking up at the King. He didn’t know that he had hurt Blaytz so badly. He had gotten up after the fight and laughed off the quick defeat easily. How much pain must he have been in that moment? Keith closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to slow the beating of his heart slightly.

“Are you here to hurt me or protect me, short-stack?” The Prince poked Keith’s shoulder roughly, causing the half-Galra’s eyes to snap open. Before Keith could think about how to reply to the Prince’s statement without the biting tone he initially wanted to take, King Alfor’s hand fell upon his shoulder.

“Lance, he has been thoroughly vetted. He’s Takashi Shirogane’s brother, and equally qualified. He is here to protect you, even if it seems the boy may not be fully aware of his own strength.” The King squeezed, before letting go and bringing his hand to ruffle his son’s already messy hair. “We will talk about this further at the end of the day if you still have qualms, and if so, he will go. However, I ask you give him a chance, as I was the one who asked him to take down Blaytz. Blaytz even had a good laugh about it at the time.”

The King turned to take his leave, assumedly having other matters to take care of, leaving Lance squawking as he went to fix his hair. “Lance, you’re relieved of your duties for the rest of the day to become comfortable with the arrangement with Keith and clarify your expectations for him. Also, it may be useful to take him on a tour of the castle to make sure he doesn’t get lost during his first few days. I wonder sometimes if that is what gave Shirogane his white hairs.”

Keith struggled to keep down a smile at that comment, remembering the first time he received correspondence from his brother after starting his new position under the Crown Princess. He had found it so funny he had nearly choked on his meal at the time, but now he was worried he would quickly fall into his brother’s shoes.

“Okay, so,  _ Keith _ . Tell me about yourself.”

The Prince resumed his scrutinization of Keith, causing Keith to feel uncomfortable under his gaze. He kept his gaze lowered as he replied quickly in a unrelenting tone. “My name is Keith Kogane. I have been a member of the Blade of Marmora since my birth, training since my seventh year. I am top of my class. While I understand my size may cause you to underestimate me, it has been most advantageous to my roll within the Blade, and I would urge you to look past this, your Royalty.” 

Keith knew that it was because of his size, or more specifically, because of the fact he was half-human that he looked over. It was assumed that it was only because of his mother or Shiro he reached the heights he had. But one of Keith’s greatest strengths was his enemy’s weakness: the fact they underestimated him. And when Blaytz held the same tone before their fight, it was instinct for Keith to use Blaytz’s overconfidence to knock him off his feet and onto his shoulder. 

“I couldn’t care less about all that,” Prince Lance replied, waving his hand between the two of them, dismissively. “Tell me about yourself, not your credentials. You wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t protect me. I need to know why I can trust you.”

Keith blinked, looking up at the Prince slightly. He wasn’t really sure how to approach this question. Trust rarely was a factor that was questioned: in the Blade, one  _ was _ their duty. There was never a question of follow-through, or if they could be trusted to do it. It simply was. An unspoken blood oath that arose through the Trial to join the Blade. One that was etched into their DNA, that echoed through their walls. It guided their every action.

So Keith said just that. “Because it is my duty to protect you, your Majesty.”

Lance scoffed, moving past Keith slightly. “You’re so scripted, Keith. Your duty should be to yourself, not to some random royal you were assigned to. You can likely do anything you want if your confidence within yourself is to be trusted.” Lance turned back to face Keith. “But nevermind that for now. Let me introduce you to some people you will be getting to know quite well if you do stay.”

The Prince walked to the staircase, sliding down the bannister before hopping off at the bottom. Keith took the stairs two at a time to keep by him, surprised the son of the King would be able to get away with such behavior. He supposed of all the royals, Lance was the least proper, but Keith couldn’t help the way his mouth fell open when Lance climbed on. 

“First, the kitchen. You probably need to know where this is if you want food and all that, but more importantly, Hunk, our Chef, is like, the best guy in this whole castle.” Lance swung open the doors to the kitchen to reveal Hunk messing with the wires within some kind of mechanical mixer. 

“Lance!” Hunk called, cheerily, as Lance jumped into the Chef’s arms. While Hunk regained his balance with the extra body weight to hold up, Lance reached into the mixing bowl to swipe a taste of the batter within. “What’s up?”

Keith watched uneasily, confused about many of the moments within this interaction. He was doubtful the Chef should hold the Prince as such, and he was definitely positive that dropping his title was against all rules. However, Lance seemed genuinely happy for the first time since Keith had seen him, and he wasn’t in any present danger. Even though Keith would have felt safer with his knife hilt within his hand, he left it alone and tried to take in the situation. 

“Father insisted I get a bodyguard, as I already told you, but look - here he is.” Lance pointed towards Keith as he flailed dramatically within Hunk’s arms. Keith hesitated a step forward, worried that Lance was about to wiggle his way out of the Chef’s arms, but Hunk held him steadily.

“Oh, hi! Sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you. Lance just kind of fills up a room, you know?” Hunk put Lance down and wiped his hand on his apron before reaching it out to shake Keith’s. “I’m Hunk.”

“Hello, I’m Keith. Prince Lance’s bodyguard.”

Hunk seemed to wrinkle his nose at Keith’s formality, but said nothing of it. “Well, Pidge, who I’m sure you’ll meet soon enough, was tinkering with my mixer, and now it goes way too fast for the batter, so I’m trying to fix it up before we get another Smoothie mishap.” Hunk glanced at Lance with the second comment, who gasped in fake betrayal. 

“I did nothing wrong, my good Sir!”

“Lance, I told you three times that you couldn’t fill it up that high!”

“Why make the blender that tall then?” Lance crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue at the Chef. Keith let out a soft chuckle at that, quickly drawing both pairs of eyes. Keith gasped when he realized that they had heard him and how out of line his action was. He looked down, before muttering, “Apologies, Your Highness.”

“Please, call me Lance. And if I may say so myself, your laugh is quite a beautiful sound. I would love to hear more of it sometime,” Lance reached towards Keith’s hand, lifting it to his face to brush his lips against his knuckles before dropping his hand.

Keith nodded silently, but felt too embarrassed to look up, still trying to process the last few moments. 

Thankfully, to save Keith from any further embarrassment, Shiro and Princess Allura came into the kitchen in that moment, with the Princess’s laughter ringing through the room. 

“Your Highness!” Keith said, quickly falling into a formal bow, hair flopping forward in his hasty movement. 

Shiro’s laughter is what pulled him out of the movement, though he was considerate enough to stifle the noise behind his hand. Keith glared at him, cursing the wave of embarrassment the Fates seemed to send to him, before turning his attention back to the Princess.

“Keith, right? Lance’s new bodyguard?” Keith nodded silently in reply. Allura gave him a sympathetic smile, though her eyes glinted mischievously in their hidden knowledge. “Well, I wish you the best of luck.”

“Hey! Take that back, ‘Lura!” Lance reached into a bag of flour behind Hunk and threw a handful in her direction. 

“Lance!” Allura shrieked, ducking behind the counter and reaching for the bowl of batter. 

“Allura, no, please don’t take this out on the batter!” Hunk cried, already ducking behind the counter, as if he was all too familiar with this drill.

With Lance’s first cry as a wallop of batter splattered against his chest, Keith instinctually moved in front of him, getting hit in the cheek with the second ball instead.

“Oh, Keith! My brave knight. Thank you for risking your life for mine.” Lance fell dramatically onto Keith, Keith’s arms barely moving out to catch him in time. “Allura, how does it feel to know that on his first day, my bodyguard was more willing to protect me than yours? Shiro, how could you fail my sister like this?”

Shiro rolled his eyes, helping Allura and Hunk up, and grabbing a broom from the closet. “Because this is the second time this month you guys have started some kind of food fight, and I’m over trying to wash egg yolks from my hair.” Shiro began to sweep up as Allura shook her clothes out a bit, after Hunk snatched away his batter to access its damage. 

“Second time this month?” Keith looked at Shiro incredulously. They were only 17 days into the 28-day cycle. 

“This is what you signed up for, little bro? What can I say?” Shiro licked his thumb before wiping Keith’s cheek. “Hope the Blade prepared you for dough attacks.” Keith flinched at his brother’s touch, swatting his hand away, pushing his face as far as he could.

Lance laughed heartily at the brother’s interactions, an easy smile gracing his face. “Okay, even just to see this, I need you to stay around, Keithy.”

Keith cringed at the name, but didn’t say anything, not wanting to cross a line by complaining about the name. Keith decidedly ignored Shiro’s ass-eating grin from the corner of his eye. 

The rest of the introductions went by quickly enough. The most memorable ones were of Pidge, an Olkarian engineer and alchemist who was leading the research efforts within the royal laboratory, and Coran, King Alfor’s most trusted advisor and second father to the Prince and Princess. They stook out to Keith because of how comfortable the Prince quickly became in their presence, and how comfortable and informal they were with him as well. 

Lance wanted to continue touring the castle with Keith a bit, more for the ability to stretch his legs and wander without fear of someone reminding him of some mundane task he should be taking care of. However, he felt Keith must have already had so much to take in for the day, and given that he needed to eventually have a formal conversation with him, he decided on the perfect location for their last stop. 

The Prince led them past his bedroom and up another set of stairs. And another. Finally, they were on a balcony of sorts, overlooking the castle garden. Keith paled slightly at how high up they seem to have come, and more importantly, how far it seemed that they could fall, when Prince Lance beckoned his attention.

“Come on, we aren’t there yet.” With Keith’s eyes back on him, Lance began to climb onto the roof of the castle, though Keith’s arms were too quick in pulling him back down to solid ground.

“Your highness, it’s too dangerous to climb up there.”

“I’ve done it a hundred times, even when I was only a foot high. Please, let go of me.”

Keith realized he was still holding the Prince close to his own body and released him in shock, before rethinking his decision and grabbing his arm once again. “My Prince! At least not today.”

Lance left it alone this time, turning to fully face Keith, eyebrows raised. “Oh? What happened to your duty was to protect me? Does that expire after today?” Lance knew he was pressing Keith’s buttons, but wanted to understand what the quiet soldier was thinking, behind all the formalities and scripts. 

Keith’s head immediately fell down in a slight bow, fear evident in his posture. “No, no, Sir - uh, your Majesty. Forgive me. I did not mean to make such an implication. I simply meant that, I, uh…” 

“I am not mad, Keith. I simply want to know the truth.”

Keith played with his fingers, nearly popping a joint as he tugged with his restless energy. “If something were to happen to your Highness on my first day here, even a minor injury, I am quite certain that would be the end of my career.”

“Ah, so you are motivated by yourself?” Lance plopped himself down to sit cross-legged on the balcony, tugging Keith’s arm slightly to invite him to sit next to him. “That’s good. Healthy. I’d feel awful if you lost yourself in your duty to protect me. I couldn’t bear to deal with that.”

Keith slowly shuffled to take the Prince’s invitation, sitting next to him, though keeping a fair amount of distance between their knees. “I don’t believe I understand?” Keith looked at the Prince’s face, unsure of how to best get a read of his words.

“Well, I mean. It’s important to me that Hunk, or Pidge, or you even don’t just become your duty here. That’s boring and, frankly, it isn’t a life. It’s evident you want to prove yourself, against what preconceptions I don’t know, but I’m just unsure why someone who seems so qualified as yourself would want a job where you are asked to serve as a glorified babysitter.”

“I do not see this job as such. If I may be honest, your Highness -”

“Please, I cannot keep telling you this. Call me Lance.”

“Uh, yes, well, if I may be honest, you are right in that I am motivated by partially selfish reasons. This is a prestigious job, and one which will show my worth. More importantly, I hope that by having a part-Galran bodyguard, a message of some kind of unity may be sent between our races. I’ve lost and almost lost too many I’ve worked closely with.” Keith closed his eyes, unsure if politics should even come up between him and the Prince. He definitely was speaking out of turn, but it seems not to have upset Lance thus far. 

“Quite noble of you, taking on a cause of your people onto your own shoulders,” Lance said passively, looking up at the sky as the sun began to near the horizon. “But why me?”

“What do you mean?”

“There are many other nobles and Dukes and various titles in need of protection. Why choose to work for me? I’m sure you’ve already heard so many rumors which circulate about me.”

Keith furrowed his eyebrows, trying to take in Lance’s comment. Lance seemed… unsure of himself? Keith couldn’t comprehend how a Prince, one of royal blood, would feel they were unworthy.

“I - yes, I will not say that rumors do not circulate about yourself. But they were always things I was jealous of. And even seeing you in your natural element as I had the opportunity to today left me in awe. Lance, there is nobody else I’d choose to work with instead. Yes, your position makes this a more promising experience, but you were also someone I wished to get to know better.

“I’ve only been here for less than a day, and you’ve already worked so hard to make myself comfortable within your home, welcoming me, despite your hesitations to having a bodyguard. And your relationships not only with your sister, but with Hunk and Pidge, who another unworthy royal may simply see as workers within the palace, are so strong that it leaves me wondering if we would be able to get to this point.”

Keith looked at Lance, hoping his words were making the Prince feel anymore at ease. Lance simply gave Keith a small smile.

“You called me Lance.” Lance chuckled slightly.

Keith flushed slightly. Lance pointed past Keith, towards the sky, causing Keith to turn his body so he was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, knee-to-knee with Lance instead, watching the sun leave the sky looking a fiery pink as it disappeared over the horizon. Keith had never seen a sunset so beautiful, and he was quickly realizing it would be easy for him to find his place in this castle. And it seemed like his place was always going to be at Lance’s side.

 


End file.
